Improvement in vault-covers



l. M. WILLBUR.

Vault-Cover.

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PATENT JAMES M. WILLBUR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y-.

IMPROVEM ENT IN VAULT-COVERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,574, dated August 10, 1875; application filed October 17,1874. I

CASE 0.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. WILLBUR, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Covers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view of my improved vaultcover, and Fig. 2 a transverse section of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

When coal and other vaults are located under sidewalks their openings through the sidewalk are usually provided with iron covers, having their upper surfaces roughened or corrugated, to provide a safe foothold for pedestrians. These surfaces become worn smooth by constant use, so as to become very slippery and dangerous,particularly when covered by a light fall of snow, their renewal being necessary when in this condition long before the metalis sufficiently worn away to become weakened.

The object of my invention is to obviate the expense resulting from this difliculty; and to this end it consists in a vault-cover having both sides roughened, and adapted to be reversed, so as to present either side upward.

In the drawings, A represents a vault-cover of any suitable form, constructed alike on both sides, as shown in Fig. 2. The cover is preferably circular in form, and has its sides rough- I prefer to emened in any desired manner.

ploy spuds or projections B, arranged in concentric rows, the projections in the outer row being square or rectangular, as shown in Fig. l, and constituting bearing edges, resting against the walls of the vault opening, as shown in Fig. 2.

By this construction I am enabled at any time to reverse the cover when one of its sides becomes worn, thus presenting a fresh upper surface, and practically renewing the cover.

When it is desirable to chain or secure the cover from the under side to prevent its removal, I provide an orifice, O, in the center, having a projecting flange or ledge, D, extending around it midway of the'thickness of the cover, as shown in Fig. 2. To the orifice O is fitted a removable cap or center, E, having a flange, F, adapted to rest on the ledge D of the cover, the upper surface of the center or cap being flush with that of the cover. The lower end of the center E projects below the cover, and is provided with an eye or staple, G, adapted to hold a chain or other securing device, H, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that the center or cap E can be inserted from either side of the cover, so as to enable the latter to be secured from below with either side uppermost.

I claim as my invention- The solid reversible vault-cover, provided with projections B, substantially as shown, for the purposes set forth.

JAMES M. WILLBUR.

Witnesses: (J. F. BROWN, M. CHURCH. 

